Accessory makers are falling over each other to ready their cases for a sixth-generation iPod nano in time for Apple’s Wednesday announcement. Their products indicate a much-smaller iPod nano that forgoes the click-wheel in favor of a touchscreen, corroborating last week’s rumor.

The new cases and screen protectors suggest that an Apple-branded 3x3cm display that’s been recently spotted in the wild will debut on the upcoming iPod nano. And if a speculative render of a screen protector seen below is any indication, the music player should run a touch-based user interface with colorful icons.

Putting two and two together, AppleInsider rendered a handy size comparison of the supposedly smaller iPod nano and the current model. Yes, these case images could be fakes, vendors might have been misinformed, and Apple could ditch the device last minute. We’ll know for sure on Wednesday, September 1, at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern, when Apple is scheduled to host a media event at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater.

Of course, the advent of the all-touch iPod nano begs the question of the underlying software platform. Notice the WiFi icon in the render? Why would the gizmo need WiFi if not to download apps? It was discovered it’ll have Apple’s 30-pin dock connector that the current model lacks and iLounge speculated its 2.8-inch screen should easily match the 480×320 pixel resolution of the iPhone and iPod touch (except iPhone 4).

If we’re looking at an iOS device capable of running App Store apps (or apps written specifically for it), it’ll be an important addition to Apple’s mobile devices ecosystem. Rightfully, apps and touch will make the iPod nano cool again. Do you think it’ll run apps from the App Store? Cast your vote below.